Thoughts on Disney Free Dining Program

Chris asked a question yesterday on Facebook about the Disney Free Dining Program that is being offered right now through the end of the year.

Now that free dining has been announced for most of the rest of the year, what do you think of it? Does it hurt the food quality, does it “dumb down” (a common criticism of FD) the menus, or is it worth it to give everyone a better bargain? Would you rather have…

Here is what our friends at Facebook said on the subject.

Chris

• I’d rather have a room discount if I’m staying at a mod or deluxe. I do hate that it’s harder to get an ADR. But I also understand that some people wait all year for this chance.

Tammy L

• Haven’t done the free dining, becuase with three kids under 5 ~ they don’t eat enough food to justify the cost ~ i prefer the room discounts. I really wish Disney would bring back the buy 4 nights get 3 free for next year (since we are already going this year) That was the best deal ever!

Susan  S

• Can’t do, own DVC but would love to try it. I believe when they stopped putting tips in the dining plan the service improved. We’ve had some great meals and some very poor service using dining plan. (Coral Reef service was awful) but has improved since tips are not included.

Rosemary C

• I did not have free dining when we went though we did have the dining plan. I think free dining would make it harder to get the ADR’s you really want because it allows people to eat at places they could not normally afford. Personally, I would rather have a room discount, pay for the dining plan and be able to get ressies at all the places I want with less hassle.

Chris

• Susan, that’s interesting about the tips. Did you find having apps included was a better deal than desserts?
• Tammy, we’re in about the same boat and it was rough making it to all the ADRs. The only reason I do it is for convenience. My husband does not need to have a heart attach everytime he gets the check. I don’t know what decade he’s living in, but it’s a lot less expensive there!
• Rosemary, you’re right. So if you get free dining close to your arrival date and then try to make your ADRs, you’re out of luck. And just making ADRs for times when people speculate that Disney will offer free dining can be difficult. When I made my ADRs for 10/1, there wasn’t one seating left at Le Cellier within 45 minutes of the system being open. That’s crazy.

Tracey H

• I have to say that this made me re-check the cost for our dates to stay off-site. It is still way too expensive and cramped for the 5 of us to stay on-site even with FD. I’d rather stay off-site in a pool home with lots of room and rent a car and drive 10 minutes to the parks then to stay on-site and get FD. It’s cheaper for us and we don’t feel we… See More are missing any of the Disney Magic. Plus we are not big eaters and hate wasting time eating when we could be doing other things. That may change for us when our kids are older and we’ve visited many more times…but for now FD doesn’t work for us. I have read though that people feel the quality of the food has deteriorated since they started offering FD.

Jameson K

• I like it most of the time. But I have annual passes and sometimes I’ll go down to the parks for a quick weekend. The problem with that is I can never eat at any of the sit-down restaurants. I’m always stuck with vender food. Somedays it’s so bad I have to leave “the world” for dinner. It’s a really good deal, though. But, I would like to have a cheaper room.

Andrea H

• When free dining and the dining plan was introduced in 2005 it was a great deal; appetizer, entree, dessert and tip were included. Great deal. As time has passed the price has increased, appetizer and tip were removed. Next week will be the first time I have never used the dining plan. We took advantage of the $500 gift card offer and will eat … See Moreoff of that. I am a budget person and having an all inclusive vacation is nice. When I leave I know everything is paid for, no surprise cost. Plus it makes it easier to budget. As far as saving money, if you eat a table service every day you might. I have noticed that the menu choices have changed since the dining plan was introduced. But a person still has a great choice of foods. To each his own I guess!!!

Sue M

• As a large family of 8, in 2007 we used the dining plan & loved it. i have to agree w/ susan, coral reef was very lax in their service. le cellier,crystal palace & cape may…rocked. counter service & snacks were all used w/ positive remarks for all. showing a card is better than giving cash. and if you have credits left, they’re good to use for souvenir candies.

Amy C

• We used the DDP on our last trip in 1/2009 (not for free, but we were using the buy 4 get 3 + $200 gift card code). In general we liked the plan, but found that with our particular situation with two kids under 3 years old that we were forcing our family to eat TS meals that the kids were just not up for. But to not keep the ADRs would mean we … See Moreweren’t getting the value of the DDP at all. By the end of the trip we were using TS credits for CS meals- just not good. We’re DVC members now so no free dining for us- we’re trying the TIW card instead.
• That said- if we could get the DDP for free as DVC members we’d do it- that pressure to keep the ARDs disappears when you’re not paying for the plan. And it was nice that our kids ate for free being under 3 years old- there was always plenty of food for them off of our plates.

Janna H

• Bitter reply: I don’t know as my dates are one again blacked out! (10/12-10-17). Aaaaarrrgghhh!!!!!

Jaime G

• We haven’t done free dining but we use the dining plan every time we go. I would totally choose food over a room discount, if I’m at a value resort. (If it’s a significant enough discount on a mod/delux resort that I can afford to stay there, well heck yea!) Anyways, we loved the dining plan, I enjoy dessert much better than apps and I dont think… See More I would do wdw without it. We just got back from our last trip a few weeks ago and looking at our dining bills (2 adults, 1 child) I know I wouldn’t have been able to “save” that money for food. It was so nice knowing it was already “paid for”.

Stephanie H

• Tracy i agree with you staying off site ina vacaction home with its own pool is worth it. we did that in 2008. we drove so we brought most of our own food with us. only had to buy meat and fresh stuff there. after being in the park all day letting the kids swim at 11pm was no hassel. will definitely stay off site again.. good comapny to work with is vacationears.com thier houses are nice plus they offer discount tickets and great tips and inside info

Pamela W

• We’ve used the dining plan 3 times, but since we tend to go at off peak times we have always had to pay for it. We used it in 2006 when tip was included, 08 & 10 without tip included. Honestly we never had any problems with service at any place. I’d rather have dessert than an appetiser though so that change was preferable to me. I agree that … See Morethe price had gone up & when my 10 year old pays the same as me that stinks! We often switched the kids meal back & forth with her younger brother cause he eats WAY more than she does. Also liked the deluxe plan in 08, but much too pricey with 3 as “adults”.

Susan S

• I miss the appetizer but one good thing it keeps you from overeating so much. By the time we get to dessert we are usually too full from dinner and just take a few bites. We tried not dong the dining plan one year and the food cost was unreal. Amazing when you compare your recipts to the total cost of the plan. You really can save a ton of money at some of the more pricey restaurants.

Rosemary C

• That was nice when appetizer, dessert AND tip was included, but it was sometimes too much food, especially when it’s so hot. I think I’d rather have dessert than appetizer myself. Desserts are usually so special at WDW restaurants. Appetizers not as much IMHO.

Tanis M

• I would rather a room discount than free dining… even though our family includes an athletic Dad and Mom, a teenage boy and an 11 year old boy, free dining is just is too much food! We all left Disney feeling like we were tied to being obligated to OVEREAT the entire trip…between a snack, a dessert with counter service, and dessert with dinner…yuck!

Luana A

• My family doesn’t spend that much money per person per day to eat. I heard it was about 40.00 a day per person……. am i right?? If thats right then i would be spending 200.00 a day in food. That would be crazy!!

Dana T

• We love the dining plan! have had it every year since 05, sometimes free others not. I like that (if we pay for it) its paid up front. I would rather do an appetizer, even one with the group than dessert for everyone. We like Mickey bars & popcorn at parade times and sometimes if we just had dinner that wont work. Thats the only thing thats not my favorite about the DDP other than that it works for us!

Nicole F

• I would like any discount at all for our trip the first week of October. Received a pin code with that week blacked out and now this is blacked out too. We are booked a the Poly for seven nights w/dining. REALLY want some sort of discount to knock the price down a bit.

Jill R

• I believe that the free dining and dining plan have really ruined the menu choices of each restaurant. Before they arrived on the scene, you could get a variety of different choices at each restaurant. Now you’re limited to just those few selections. Very boring!

Tammy K

• I went on the free dining plan once, and honestly, I wasn’t impressed. We booked pretty close to when we went, and every full service eatery was booked, so we ended up eating chicken fingers and burgers most of the trip. We came home with a bunch of credits unused. I’d so much rather have a deep room discount – I’m not much on the full service … See Moredining anyway, I could eat apples, popcorn, and dole whip for the entire trip and be happy. I would have been very upset if I actually paid for the plan.

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